A Spinster's Awakening (A New Adventure Begins - Star Elite 2)

For a good hour, her life became one of domestic tranquillity she hadn’t ever expected to experience. Not with a man like Angus anyway. It was such a surprise, and so wonderful that she truly didn’t want it to ever end.

She wasn’t ready for the clock on the mantle to strike seven.

“Oh Lord, I have to go,” she gasped when she realised that time had flown past. She had been so engrossed with hearing about Angus’s scary exploits that she had completely forgotten where she was supposed to be going.

“I will walk you there,” Angus said. He was already up and out of his chair before she could thank him. Seconds later, he appeared with both their cloaks in his hand.

“I will just pop up to speak with Jasper and will be back down i

n a minute,” Angus said.

Charity parcelled up one of her cakes and covered everything else over. By the time she was done, the house was ship-shape and tidy, and she was ready to leave.

Together, Charity and Angus headed into the night. Unfortunately, the rain continued its persistent menace as they wound their way through the empty streets, but neither of them seemed to notice.

“All right?” Angus asked. He held his elbow out with a ready smile and wait for her to take it.

Charity smiled and clutched her basket with one hand as she dutifully took his elbow. “It is wonderful to walk out in the rain, don’t you think?”

Angus smiled. “Especially in the dark?” he teased.

Charity wrinkled her nose up at him. “I confess, I don’t like walking out in the dark at all. I have no idea what came over me last night. Looking back on it, it was a foolish thing for me to do. I have no idea what happened.”

To Angus, that was the best thing she could have said to him. For the first time in a long time, he began to relax and suspect that everything would work out all right in the end.

By the time they reached Monika’s house, the ladies were already looking out for her. Angus waved at them when he saw Agatha and Edwina waving frantically at him, with all the excited enthusiasm of small children.

“Don’t encourage them,” Charity scolded. “You will be dragged inside for more cake if you do.”

Angus laughed. “How long do you think you will be?”

“About three hours, I expect. I don’t want to be out too late, but the ladies like to talk,” Charity shrugged.

“I will come back to fetch you. Wait for me,” Angus murmured.

Aware that Monika’s front door had just opened, and Augusta was now standing in the doorway, Angus lifted Charity’s hand off his arm. With little time to do anything else, Angus bent over Charity’s hand and pressed a lingering kiss onto the back of it.

“Stay inside,” he urged gently.

Charity nodded. She was too entranced to speak. While neither of them said anything else, their locked gazes created a connection upon which a wealth of understanding flowed between them.

“Ten o’clock. If things change, stay here and wait,” Angus whispered. When Charity nodded, he reluctantly released her.

“I will see you later,” she murmured somewhat breathlessly, already full of excitement.

“Later,” he promised. Angus turned away and reluctantly began to walk down the road.

“Aww.”

Charity smiled ruefully and turned to face her friends, all of whom were crowded in the doorway, openly watching what was happening. Augusta beckoned her frantically into the house.

“Come along, my dear. You are already soaked. Where is he going? Is he not coming in?”

“He has to go to work. He is going to come and fetch me at ten o’clock, if that is all right?” Charity lifted her brows at Monika who shook her head.

“I think we will be done more around midnight, but I understand if you wish to go home early,” Monika replied with a daring wink. “With him in the bed chamber waiting for me, I wouldn’t leave the house in the first place.”

“Monika! You wanton,” Gertrude gasped.